Departmental response to Daily Telegraph story on planning reforms and house prices

This news article was published under
the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Department responds to an article in the Telegraph claiming that the National Planning Policy Framework will result in house prices being…

The Department responds to an article in the Telegraph claiming that the National Planning Policy Framework will result in house prices being driven down.

A spokesman said:

The Government is maintaining strong protections to safeguard the countryside, gardens, the Green Belt and other valued green spaces, including wildlife sites, from urban sprawl.

Leaving employment land already zoned for development lying empty for decades, without any prospect of it being put to productive use, is of no benefit to communities. It makes sense to build more homes instead of having industrial and commercial wastelands. The draft framework clearly supports the use of land with the least environmental or amenity value.